Peter Plagens, painter, critic and novelist

When a painter who is also a critic writes a novel, the topic isn’t going to be the siege of Leningrad. (Excellent siege of Leningrad novel, horror as comedy, here.)

No. The topic is likely to be some version of the art world. Peter Plagens played to stereotype with his novel, “The Art Critic.” It’s being published in serial form, one chapter a week for 24 weeks, on Artnet.

Plagen’s hero, Arthur, is trapped by his rejection of the old and failure to engage the new. What new, Arthur might ask. Everywhere he looks, the voice in his head says no, and it has reasons. The first chapter explores the comic possibilities of knowing too much to like anything. So far, so good.